San Diego’s Coin-Op game room ready to open in SoMa

Coin-Op will offer everything from classic bar fare to vintage video games and craft cocktails. Photo courtesy of Coin-Op game room.

Sometime in the very near future, San Diego’s Coin-Op Game Room will open in San Francisco, specifically within the 10,400-square-foot space at 508 Fourth St. Over the years, that address has been home to everything from Elizabeth Falkner’s Orson to the Drake Bar and Lounge.

The Bay Area Coin-Op will be the third arcade-inspired bar from the brand’s team of Has Mahmood, Roy Ledo, and Eric Lockeridge. (Outside of San Diego, a game room is also up and running in Sacramento.)

Coin-Op’s design is based on the sci-fi film Tron and will feature a Tron-themed “speakeasy” called The Grid. (For the uninitiated, The Grid in Tron is the “digital frontier” made iconic by its pulsating blue and white ribbons of light.) On a lower level will be the Octagon Bar, a more classic and less theme-driven drinking space.

The vintage games are rotated in and out on a monthly basis. On the first night, Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Street Fighter, and Q’bert Classic, will be ready for use.

And just to make sure the experience is retro enough for all generations, Big Buckhunter, Time Crisis 2, and “pop-a-shot” basketball hoops will also be available.

Photo: Luke Beard

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The Coin-Op bars are the focal points of the space, outside of the countless arcade games. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

The Coin-Op bars are the focal points of the space, outside of the countless arcade games. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

Photo: Luke Beard

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Both modern and vintage design aesthetics will be incorporated into the Coin-Op space. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

Both modern and vintage design aesthetics will be incorporated into the Coin-Op space. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

Photo: Luke Beard

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The vintage arcade game lineup will change every month at Coin-Op, according to the owners. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

The vintage arcade game lineup will change every month at Coin-Op, according to the owners. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

Photo: Luke Beard

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Vintage racing games are expected to be another draw at Coin-Op. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

Vintage racing games are expected to be another draw at Coin-Op. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

Photo: Luke Beard

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The vintage arcade game lineup will change every month at Coin-Op, according to the owners. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

The vintage arcade game lineup will change every month at Coin-Op, according to the owners. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

Photo: Luke Beard

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Small details will be incorporated into the space's design, including a drink ledge filled with G.I. Joe action figures. Photo courtesy Luke Beard.

Small details will be incorporated into the space's design, including a drink ledge filled with G.I. Joe action figures. Photo courtesy Luke Beard.

Photo: Luke Beard

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People familiar with 1990s-era pop culture will recognize a number of the items in Coin-Op. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

People familiar with 1990s-era pop culture will recognize a number of the items in Coin-Op. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

Photo: Luke Beard

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Coin-Op's craft cocktails are part of the location's appeal. The options are what made the San Diego and Sacramento locations popular. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

Coin-Op's craft cocktails are part of the location's appeal. The options are what made the San Diego and Sacramento locations popular. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

Photo: Luke Beard

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The bar staff at Coin-Op will be spread throughout the building to cover the separate drinking areas. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

The bar staff at Coin-Op will be spread throughout the building to cover the separate drinking areas. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

Photo: Luke Beard

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Pizza, burgers and various other familiar bar fare will be available on the Coin-Op menu. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

Pizza, burgers and various other familiar bar fare will be available on the Coin-Op menu. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

Photo: Luke Beard

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The Coin-Op menu is filled with shareable dishes, including pizza and even deviled eggs . Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

The Coin-Op menu is filled with shareable dishes, including pizza and even deviled eggs . Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

Photo: Luke Beard

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The Coin-Op location will have pop culture memorabilia scattered throughout the space. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

The Coin-Op location will have pop culture memorabilia scattered throughout the space. Photo courtesy of Luke Beard.

Photo: Luke Beard

San Diego's Coin-Op game room ready to open in SoMa

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The Coin-Op menu will consist of wood-fired pizzas, and shareable bar food like corn dog bites, deviled eggs, and chicken and waffles.

The arcade aesthetics won’t be limited to just the food or Tron-inspired drinking spaces. Super Mario Brothers and PacMan wallpaper will be in the restrooms; Star Wars glassware will be at The Grid bar; G.I. Joe figurines in yoga poses will be viewable from a shadow box drink ledge; and vintage television will be mounted in the downstairs bar.